


It's a Start

by InesStarkDowney



Series: It's a Start [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Couch Cuddles, Fix-It, Fluff, Getting Together, Happy Ending, Kinda, M/M, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Sleepy Cuddles, Steve is desperate to fix things, Tony is desperate to fix things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-22
Updated: 2017-04-22
Packaged: 2018-10-22 16:59:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10701246
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/InesStarkDowney/pseuds/InesStarkDowney
Summary: Steve woke up with Tony still in his arms after their talk. After some kind of forgiveness and the beginning of a new trust between the two of them. Steve took it all in. From the weight of Tony's body on top of him to the feeling of his curls against his chin. Steve took it all in and Tony was willing to give him more.But for once, Steve didn't want to rush in on Tony and for once Tony listened to Steve and actually understood.It was a brand new start, after all.





	It's a Start

**Author's Note:**

> Yeay, last part of this "series". At first I didn't even mean to connect all these one shots but it eventually happened as I wrote them and here we are... I think it ended up being okay, though. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

Steve woke up to a haunting silence that he could still not believe it ever happened in New York City, and to the darkness of the main area in which he had fallen asleep with Tony.

Steve took a deep breathe to the remembrance that they had talked in some way, that through all their issues with themselves and each other, Tony had told him that it was okay now and it would be better later on, and walked right into Steve's arms, Steve, who was shaking, and still trying to grasp how real it all had been up until then. It hit Steve in a wave of relief and hope, and suddenly, the lights that were coming in through the big wide windows, showing New York, became meaningless. Suddenly, it was all about the curls that tickled his cheek and neck, the heavy weight on top of him, the numbness of his left arm, the soft breathing mixed with a slight snore and the heartbeat, steady and so very real against his ribs. Steve breathed in, and he breathed in the smell of Tony, all those smells that should not go together, like oil and fresh lemon, but that on that skin, worked like nothing else did.

Maybe it was too fast, and maybe he shouldn't do this, but Tony was right there, holding on to Steve, like he used to, when the worst thing was a nightmare that lived in the dark space outside, and not the person he trusted most. Steve acted faster after that thought. _If it's all a dream, I want to feel what it used to be like._ Steve's left hand ran through Tony's hair and Steve kissed the top of his head. With his eyes closed, harder than ever, Steve just listened and felt.

For once, the world was quiet, Tony and Steve were quiet, everything was quiet. After all those months of turbulence, when on the hardest days Steve wanted to just go away again and leave Tony so he could live at peace, things had finally settled down and Steve couldn't believe it.

How could it be real? Nothing was ever easy with them, forgiving was hardly common, and people like them never forgot anything, especially war wounds. Above all, people like them would never know peace and happiness. They could have flashes of it, of course, but nothing you could really get back to. It was always fleeting with them. So… how?

"I can hear you thinking...", Tony mumbled against Steve's chest, but apart from that, the world remained quiet and Steve still felt Tony's heart beating against his ribs. Some things, Steve would never understand. "Your heart is literally slamming against my ear and I would very much like to sleep..."

"Sorry...", Steve whispered, his lips still grazing over Tony's dark curls, and his hand still deep between them. Tony was still relaxed against him and nothing in his voice told Steve that it was too much too soon.

"It's okay. We should go to bed either way. It's late and I am not young anymore. My back cannot handle a night on the couch, I think."

All it took was one moment, and Tony was back to being who he was around Steve. Like Tony never spent months running away from every minimal touch and decent conversation, because it still hurt and it could hurt more. _He jumps in too soon, too fast. When did I deserve this?_

"Cap, you're thinking again. You've gone silent on me out of the blue."

"Sorry."

"You've said _that_ already."

Okay, so it wasn't like it never happened. Things lingered, especially on Tony. Now, all Steve wanted was Tony to do this, show him that it lingered, show him that it's not this easy, so they could work on it. Steve wanted to work on it. Steve wanted to wake up one day and no longer hear the fear and apprehension in Tony's voice.

"I did, yes." Silence. Running fingers through wild curls. Feeling his heartbeat on his ribs. Hearing him breathe, safe and sound. "We should get up."

"Yes."

Tony got up first, and Steve could see that Tony was in fact older than him in more ways than he should be. When the bones in Tony's body hurt, Steve's heart broke at the thought. It was unfair. And Steve could only wish Tony was still young in some way, so that hope could be restored more easily.

Steve followed Tony and both up, both walked in different directions. Tony didn't even notice as he talked, because that was Tony: He talked and talked and Steve had missed the banter. There was no one who loved to hear Tony more than Steve.

"So, we should get to bed. You should sleep with me."  Now Tony stopped and looked back at a Steve that was looking at him in silence. Before Steve could even process Tony's words, Tony was talking again, a dark blush on his face. "Not _sleep with me,_ but sleep with me, in my bed, under those comfortable Egyptian sheets. They even are red, your favorite color."

Steve smiled, he couldn't really help it, he never seemed to help it near Tony, and by now, he had stopped looking for the reason or the many reasons. Tony made him smile. That was it.

"Maybe we should... Wait. It was tonight Tony. It was just tonight. There's more than just this and we need to go through that first... Do you understand?"

Tony's blush disappeared and switched places with a small smile, and Steve could hardly remember the times Tony smiled at him. Maybe it was too long ago and now it seemed like another lifetime. One more proof that it all was unfair.

"Of course. Then, goodnight."

"Goodnight, Tony." Steve turned his back and started to walk, but it wasn't long till Tony's voice filled the empty space again. Steve couldn't really say he was bothered.

"When, when you... when you were... touching me. Showing me that I could- can trust you, and your fingers were on my lips... All that went through my mind was that it didn't matter anymore, that whatever had happened could be fixed right then if you could just kiss me. One kiss was all that it would take, in my mind."

Pain shot through Steve's chest; simply because they were so desperate to fix this that one kiss could maybe do the job. Steve would be lying if he didn't think the same. If he didn't think that if they just embraced each other, things would disappear. But right then, after all of it, Steve understood that it would take time and healing would come from something else.

"Maybe, maybe it would fix it all. But I don't think it will. I think there's more before that. I think we need time and patience and trust before that happens."

Tony knew it was true, despite the fact that it hurt knowing he had to wait more, again. That's all Tony seemed to do. Wait on Steve. Wait on them to work it out. So Tony thought about the fact that he didn't want to wait and thought about the fact that this would happen. This kiss would happen.

"So it will happen, Han?" Steve looked back at Tony, silent, because words weren't even needed anymore. Some things between them no longer needed words. That was how long they had been doing this. Looks and gazes talked now. "You can't fool me, Rogers."

"Goodnight, Tony."

No, he couldn't.


End file.
